


making promises I would soon forget

by nessismore



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Conversations, Friendship, Gen, Thor 2 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2013-11-15
Packaged: 2018-01-01 14:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nessismore/pseuds/nessismore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“What was that all about?” Steve asked as soon as the elevator doors closed behind Ian.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Would you believe me if I said nothing?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Steve settled against the lab counter beside Darcy. “Would you believe me if I said yes?”</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Darcy’s lips curved up. “Yeah, didn’t think so.” </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	making promises I would soon forget

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw _Thor: The Dark World_ and this is what happened. Thanks to Katy for talking me through this fic and to theladyscribe for helping me come up with a title.

Steve stepped out of the elevator on Dr. Foster’s research floor with the samples Dr. Banner wanted her to see. Banner’s had lab assistants who could run it down for him, but Steve offered to do it. He liked hanging around Dr. Foster’s assistant. Around her, he felt like a normal guy, and when she showed her appreciation for the way he looked—which she did, quite often—he knew it wasn’t just because he was Captain America. She was very open about her appreciation of physical attractiveness, whether it was him or Thor or the guy who’d delivered Darcy and Dr. Foster’s lunch the other week.

When Steve entered the lab, samples carefully in hand, it was to see Darcy writing down notes while her intern (“Ian,” the kid insisted, “my name isn’t _Intern_ ”) hovered over her shoulder. For a moment, Steve thought she wasn’t aware of Ian behind her, but he noticed her shoulders were tense and her lips were tightened in…exasperation? annoyance? He couldn’t tell.

“Hi, Darcy,” Steve said loudly, making both Ian and Darcy jump. Ian quickly backed away from Darcy, giving her space, and Steve noticed her shoulders relax. He didn’t bother greeting Ian. In the last six months, he’d never gotten an answer back. The kid never talked to him in general, at least not in full sentences, and Steve wondered if maybe he was intimidated. 

Darcy smiled. “Hey handsome.” Her eyes flicked to the box in his hands. “Aww, you didn’t have to bring me a present!” He handed her the box, grinning as she opened it and raised an eyebrow. “Water samples. You shouldn’t have.”

“If you like those, I got a whole lake where they came from.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Mom always said dirty water was the key to a girl’s heart.” She closed the box. “Intern. To Jane!” 

Ian didn’t argue. He grabbed the box, his fingers brushing Darcy’s as he stared at Darcy intently. Steve cleared his throat. The intern went scurrying. 

“Jane’s doing an experiment,” Darcy explained. “She wants me to be her fresh eyes after she passes out from exhaustion.”

“Is that something that happens a lot?” Steve asked, mildly concerned.

“Oh yes. Especially when Thor’s here. But it’s a very different kind of exhausted,” she said with a wink. Steve laughed, relaxing against the counter and chatting with Darcy about her weekend plans. They didn’t talk about his. On the rare occasions he _got_ the weekend to do as he pleased, he mostly liked quiet evenings. At least that’s what he told himself.

Ian walked back in, his gaze moving back and forth between Steve and Darcy. A frown furrowed his brow, one Darcy noticed since she smiled brightly and said, “Why don’t you take the rest of the day?”

“Darcy,” Ian said in exasperation, his accent crisp, “it’s already seven in the evening.”

“All the more reason for you to go home. We don’t all need to suffer.” Something was going on that Steve didn’t quite understand, nothing that was revealed by the lightness in Darcy’s tone, but he could feel the tension crashing through the room.

“I could get dinner,” Ian said cautiously. 

“Yes. Dinner is good. Make sure you get all six major food groups.” 

“Five,” Ian corrects automatically. “Coffee isn’t a food group. You could come with me. To dinner.”

“One of us has to stay here in case Jane needs something. But you go have fun.” When Ian continued to stand indecisively in the doorway, Darcy waved towards the door. “Go. Shoo. Run free, Intern!”

It wasn’t until Steve cleared his throat again that Ian gathered up his things and left. Darcy slumped against the lab counter as she sighed, whether it was in frustration or in relief, Steve wasn’t sure.

“What was that all about?” Steve asked as soon as the elevator doors closed behind Ian.

“Would you believe me if I said nothing?”

Steve settled against the lab counter beside Darcy. “Would you believe me if I said yes?”

Darcy’s lips curved up. “Yeah, didn’t think so.” She sighed, running her fingers through her hair in agitation. “He wants something I don’t want to give him.”

Steve raised his brows. “Sex?”

Darcy choked on a laugh, catching her lower lip between her teeth in a grin. “A relationship, actually, but I guess that, too.”

Steve grinned back, looking down at her. “Never known you to be shy about turning someone down.” They’d only known each other six months, but in that time he’s seen at least one lab assistant get turned down in a not-so-gentle, somewhat public manner. To be fair, lab assistant had gotten pushy about it.

Another sigh. “That’s because I actually _like_ this one. Not enough to date him, but I’d like us to be friends. Friendly. Whatever.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s not enough? I’m not the most tactful person—“ It was Steve’s turn to snort “—and I don’t know how to let him down nicely.”

“He’s a tough kid.” That’s what Steve assumed anyway. He had to be if he hung around Darcy all the time. “You may scar him for a few years, but he’ll figure it out. So why don’t you just tell him?”

“I might feel a little guilty, too.”

“Oh?” He imbued the syllable with all the authority he could muster, hoping to get her to laugh. It didn’t work. Darcy just slumped miserably on her lab stool.

“I may or may not have kissed him. Like, twice.”

“Oh.” This one surprised. “Did you want to date him? Before you kissed him?”

“No. It was—“ She broke off, fingers tracing the edge of the notebook in front of her. “The world was ending, or that’s what it felt like. And I…I didn’t want to die alone. It was a heat of the moment thing, but all I can really remember is being grateful he saved my life and being terrified that I was gonna die and I didn’t want to die without knowing someone was gonna miss me and there was all this adrenaline—it seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“They always do,” Steve said with a small smile.

Darcy looked up at him consideringly. “There’s a story there. Care to share with the class, Rogers?”

He shifted on the counter, nudging her elbow. “I would if we were talking about me.”

“We can,” she said hopefully.

“You first.”

She made a face at him, wrinkling her nose. It was adorable, but maybe it wasn’t the best thought to have when she was talking about her current unwanted romantic prospect.

“The second time you kissed him…” he prompted.

“We’d just saved the world. Several worlds, actually. And he’s a nice guy. A great guy. It seemed—“

“Like a good idea at the time, I know. What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t know,” she moaned, bringing her head down on the counter hard enough that he felt the vibrations through surface. “Avoid him until he loses interest or goes back to England?”

“As far as plans go, that one’s not great.”

She made an incomprehensible noise that might have been a curse or just a groan of disgust. “Fine. I’ll hire someone to pretend to be my boyfriend until he loses interest or goes back to England.”

“That could get expensive. I can’t picture a guy losing interest in you so quickly.”

Her head shot up, her mouth agape, eyes finding and holding his. Her lips formed words that couldn’t seem to escape before she finally said, “For the first time ever, I might actually be speechless.”

Steve chuckled at the expression on her face before he turned serious. “He should know that you don’t want to be with him.”

Darcy glared up at him, shifting restlessly in her seat. “Thank you for the brand new information.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?” He wasn’t bluffing—for the girl who’d become a friend, he’d do it. He’d been where Ian was now. He’d break it to him gently. 

For a moment, she looked like she wanted to say yes. Finally, she reluctantly shook her head and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll do it. Eventually.” Steve gave her a look and she huffed out a breath. “Fine. Soon.”

He opened his mouth to tease her when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen. “Duty calls?” Darcy asked.

“An agent’s work is never done.”

“I should probably go check on Jane, anyway. Make sure she hasn’t overdosed on science.” He grinned and turned to go when Darcy stopped him with a hand on his. “Thanks, Steve. For listening.”

“Anytime.” She disappeared into another section of the lab that was overgrown with homemade equipment. It was only then that he let himself acknowledge the swoop in his stomach at the touch of her hand.


End file.
